Over 7,500 children waiting more than a year for occupational therapy assessment

There has been no progress on Children's Disability Network Teams over the last three years, according to Fianna Fáil.

The party says HSE Service Plans for the period all state work to reconfigure children's disability services into geographically based teams was underway.

At the start of 2016 there were 56 teams in place, with another 129 teams to be up and running by the end of that year.

But Fianna Fáil says it still remains at 56 and that the target for these teams has been reduced to 96.

"Not only are there not enough Children’s Disability Network Teams, the waiting times for children to receive a first assessment for occupational therapy are truly shocking," said Margaret Murphy O'Mahony, the party's spokesperson on disability.

"Currently there are 7,615 under 18s waiting for an assessment for more than twelve months.

"We have also seen increases in speech and language therapy waiting lists this year with some 3,118 waiting over a year for services.

"Budget 2019 has promised 100 extra therapists but given the pressures on the HSE finances I am not confident that the posts will be filled in 2019."